Highway marker



March 21, 1939.

HIGHWAY MARKER Filed Oo't. 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Mami* 21, 1939.

H- G- MEIGS HIGHWAY MARKER Filed Oct. 17, 1935 BY 1W www 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR www@ ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 21, 1939 STATES PAT ENTv F FIC E HIGHWAY MARKER Henry G. Meigs, West Allis, Wis.

Application October 17, 1935, Serial No: 45,4501

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in highway markersand-'other reflecting signs.

y It is the primary object offthe present inven tion\to provide anv effectivereflecting sign which 55. mayv'be stampedcof sheet material and arranged inthe form-of af symbol or the like to give at all distances a brilliant reflected outline of the symbolwithout glare.

Other objectsof the invention pertain to the m: mounting' of ay reflectingsymbol as a highway marker, as will be apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:A Figure 1 is a front elevation of a symbol having a portion of its surface completed to illustrate a type of reflecting surface embodying this invention.

FigureZ vis agreatly enlargeddetail showing a portion of the reflecting. surface of such a symbol y as that illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail View taken in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4y isafdetailviewftaken in section on the lineII-II of Fig. 2.

Figure 5- is a reary view of the target or mountingplate for a symbol such as that shown in-Figs. lato 4.-

Figure 6 isanienlarged vertical section showing a detailofthe'mounting of the device shown in Fig. `5 on alwooden post.

Figure 6a is a viewV of a modified mounting taken in horizontal section on a reduced scale.

Figure 7 is a'view on a reduced scale showing an arrangement for mounting the highway markery oni a metal base.

Figure 8 is a perspective drawing on an enlargedscale, of an exploded View of complementary'I parts used in the'. mounting shown in Fig. 7.

Figure 9 is a detail view'taken in section on an enlarged'scale on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

Figure 10 is a View in perspective showing a transit-like device used in the proper alignment ofthe vhighway marker with respect to the high- Way.

Like `parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

I shall firstl describe the improved reflecting surface which I have devised in order to produce la brilliant and sharply; outlined symbol which willv maintain. its brilliance throughout the range of View for which it is adapted` and will not glare at any distance.

'I'he'reflecting surface shown at I5 in Fig. 1 55= preferably has the outline ofy the desiredgsymbol,

in this case alcurvedv arrow. It may be cast, stamped or formed in any desired manner to provide a very specific type of configuration which I have foundy to be very important inv the production of the desired result.

I am Well aware that reflecting surfaces have heretofore been made with craters, pits or dimples as armeans of light diffusion. In the course of extensive experimentation, however, I have found that unless some well defined characteristics are present, such reflecting surfaceswill not yield a brilliant yet glareless reflection at all distanceswithin a wide range.v

In order to provide the desired surface I prefer to stamp a thin sheet IIS` of material between a die and a matrix of rubber' or the like, to produce 'therein a series of pits or craters I'I which, in actual practice, may be from .012 to .020 in depth but are preferably about .016" deep. The pits or craters I'I are set in rows on lines which are preferably not at right angles to each other but are drawnat about degrees, as clearly shown both in Figs. 1 and 2. As a result of this arrangement any pit taken as a center will be found to have six pits or craters surrounding it, and a line drawn to connect the centers of the surrounding pits or craters would be hexagon.

In actual practice I have used 22 gauge brass, marginally engaged about the edge flanges of a shoe I8 inaccordance with the disclosure of my Patent No. 2,076,907 entitled Highway markers, and after the die operation forming the pit or craters approximately .016" deep and 3-2" in diameter, I have chromium plated the reflecting surface I5. Chromium plating is well adapted to withstand the weather, but I may also use other plated or naturally reflecting surfaces such, for example, as the aluminum alloys known as Alzak and Alcolite.

I have found that the spacing and relative diametrical dimensions of the craters or pits is highly significant in the result. Where gif craters are used the lines drawn through their centers are preferably spacedapart for a distance ofapproximately sgi. I have secured fairly good results by arranging such lines at right angles to each other with the craters spaced T92 in one direction .and in the other. I prefer their hexagonal disposition on lines at 60 degrees as shown.

It is very important that the whole of the surface areas I9 between the pits or craters shall not be planiform. Ify they are, they will yield a brilliant reflection only; at certain very limitedl 7shown in Fig. 9.

points of View, While at other points of View there Will be a glare, and at still other points the reflection will almost Wholly lose its brilliance. These faults render the device unadapted for highway marker use.

By using a die as above suggested, the areas I9 will automatically be rendered very slightly convex as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the displacement of the rubber being such as to produce naturally the desired degree of convexity. The reflecting symbol thus made Will be uniformly visible through a wide angle but will not give quite as much brilliance as if the central portions of the areas I9 (not to exceed about 25% of the total) are formed to be at, or are subsequently flattened, as by bufiing, to an almost imperceptible degree. When thus slightly flattened, the brilliance of the sign is very much increased, although its effective angle of useis slightly narrowed.

In the cross section in which Fig. 4 is taken, there Will be an elongated line or slightly flattened area almost entirely rectilinear, but at each side of this line the surface will fall away as clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

I have found that at substantial distances from a highway marker made in accordance with this invention, the largest proportion of the reflecting effect is produced by the areas |9. Due to the slight convexity of such areas the reiiection is maintained brilliant as the observer approaches the sign, until nally the reflection observed is almost solely attributable to the concave pits or craters. If the proportions above indicated are followed there will be no intervening point at which reflection will be sharply reduced.

While the design of the reflecting surface herein disclosed is such as to produce a continuously brilliant effect as the observer approaches the symbol, and while the angle through which this brilliant reflection is observable is a substantial angle, nevertheless the best results require that the symbol should bear a predetermined relation to the highway. This relation is critical in the sense that if a given angle of reflection is exceeded the brilliance of the reflection will decrease sharply. Accordingly I prefer to make the mounting of my improved symbol adjustable and provide a means by which it can readily be fixed in the desired adjustment;

The symbol is customarily mounted on the face of a plate known in this art as a target. Such a plate is shown at 20, the marginal porf tions 2| of the sheet reflector I5 being clamped between the plate 2G and the ange 22 of the supporting sheet metal shoe I8.

In accordance with the present invention I prefer to back the sheet metal plate 20 with a reinforcing and mounting plate 24 as shown particularly in Figs. 5, 6 and 9. The backing plate is formed to provide annular ribs at 25 to receive and conceal the special nuts 26 which are threaded on bolts 21, the latter being riveted into connection with the depressions 23 of the shoe as By surrounding each of the special nuts 26 with an annular rib 25, I make the nuts inaccessible to an ordinary tool and thereby tend to discourage theft.

The marker member, comprising the backing plate and symbol, 24 is provided with special means for its support from the Wooden post 35 shown in Figs. 6 and l0 and the metal post 3| shown in Fig. '1. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the backing plate V24 is spherically embossed at 33, the convex spherical boss having radial ribs 34 (Figs. 5 and 6) and a central aperture 35. the post 3U is concavely embossed at 31 and has radial grooves to which the ribs 34 are complementary. Bracket 36 likewise has an aperture at 38 in the middle of its concavely embossed socket 31. For the purposes of the appended claims the post and the bracket 36 and other fixed parts associated therewith may be regarded as together comprising a mounting member.

Extending through a suitable hole in the post is a pressure tube'39 having an apertured cap 40 to receive the thrust of a nut 4| on a bolt 42 which extends through the aperture tube and ts loosely within the roughly aligned apertures Y and 38. It will readily be apparent that by means of the engagement of the convex boss 33 The mounting bracket 36 secured tok in the concave 31 of the bracket, means is pro- Y vided for the ball and socket adjustment of the mounting plate 24, target 20, and symbol i5 at any desired angle within a reasonable range. The ribs and grooves, if used, will tend to maintain the adjustment.

The construction shown in Fig. 6a represents a modication in which one or more cylindrically concave' mounting plates 360 are secured to the post 30, it being understood that if a plurality of such plates are used they will be vertically aligned on the face of the post, it being only necessary to illustrate one, since the others would be duplicates of the device shown. V A

The post has a counterbore for the nut 4| and Washer 40 which are threaded to bolt 420 vwhich extends from the counterbore through a suitable hole in the post to the forward face thereof. The cylindrically concave face of the mounting bracket 360 is apertured to receive the bolt and at some point beyond such face the bolt is preferably provided with a pivotal joint at 42| upon which its head portion 422 may be swung from side to side.

The target 200 is in this case a conventional Wooden backboard apertured to receive the pivoted end and head of the bolt. The portion 311i)v joint at 42| in the bolt 420 enables the device tok be tightened in any adjustment to which it is Y fact that the mating convex and concave sur-Y faces of the parts 366 and 34|) are cylindrical.

A somewhat similar means of adjustment is shown in Figs.- '1 and 8 Which, like that in Fig. 60.,

permits of adjustment in one plane only. Av

channel member 45 with a concave face 46 rests against the side of the metal post 3|, and the complementary cylindrically embossed bracket 41 is connected with the mounting plate 24. The channel 45 has bolt holes at 48` and the complementary bracket 41 has key hole slots 49 to re ceive the mounting bolts 5U which pass comv pletely through the posts and carry nuts at 5| protected by counterbored washers 52 -against unauthorized removal. A f 1 For properly aligning any one of the targets and symbols herein disclosed with the road, I may use a transit tube 55 having arms 56 engageable with the sides of the target to center the tube thereon. By sighting through the tube 55 at an object 60 which is located at a predetermined distance along the margin of the highway, it is possible to iix the target accurately at the best angle.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, the combination with a highway marker including a symbol plate and an embossed mounting member disposed rearwardly of the plate, of a bracket providing a complementary embossed mounting member, said members being apertured, and a bolt of smaller diameter than at least one of the apertures, whereby to permit of relative movement between said members, said bolt projecting rearwardly from the plate through the apertures in clamping engagement through said members to hold them in frictional adjusted relation, the plate being continuous across the head of the bolt.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a marker member having a mounting bolt in operative connection therewith and projecting rearwardly therefrom, of a mounting member to the face of which said marker member is applied, said mounting member having an aperture through which said bolt extends and being provided with a recess to receive said bolt, the bolt being provided with a nut within the recess, and said marker member and mounting member having complementary arcuate surfaces about said bolt constituting their sole abutment and relatively slidable upon each other when said bolt is free, whereby to adjust the marker member as to its angle respecting said mounting member.

3. In a device of the character described, a highway marker symbol comprising an apertured shoe and a reflecting plate applied thereover, of a mounting bolt extending through said shoe and having its head conned between said shoe and plate, an aperture target through whic-h said bolt extends, a mounting plate secured to the back of said target and provided with an opening through which said bolt extends, and a rib integrally formed in said mounting plate and extending annularly about said bolt to provide a recess, said bolt having a nut within the recess and closely tted to said rib whereby it is secured against unauthorized removal.

HENRY G. MEIGS. 

